


Meet The Kyojin

by The_Pirate_King



Series: Solitary Goodbye [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Other, more like me explaining myself, not an actual fic, part of a fic though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-13 23:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10523847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Pirate_King/pseuds/The_Pirate_King
Summary: Not actually a fic. This is part of a fic, though. Basically this is me explaining my reasoning behind why I chose what animal for which character.





	1. Meet Armin!

**Author's Note:**

> Alrighty, so as the summary says, this isn't an actual fic. I had a lot of people asking me about Levi's breed in particular so instead of giving a long message to each person individually, I typed this up for all of you. I hope this can be a way for everyone to see my reasoning as well as get to know certain aspects of the character(s) better! I will update this as I introduce characters through the main fic! 
> 
> Hope you all like getting to better understand the madness to my logic.

Armin’s Breed Explained

 

I think my reasoning behind choosing a Retriever for Armin is pretty obvious. I didn't actually choose between a Golden or Labrador because they’re so similar that I decided that I’d let the reader choose whichever one they pictured. I am curious to see if more people are leaning for Golden or Labrador though. So let me know.

  1. Retrievers are insanely loyal. More so than some other breeds.
  2. Armin is blond. Retrievers are also blond.
  3. Armin would look adorable with big, floppy ears on his head.
  4. He just reminds me of a Retriever.
  5. Fight me.



 

Now, have some fun facts!!!!

 

Labrador Retriever

  * Like their name suggests, Labrador Retrievers are gun-retrieving dogs that originated in Newfoundland, Canada.
  * Their founding breed was the St. John’s water dog, which was declared extinct in 1980. However, the markings of a St. John’s will be seen occasionally in Labs (black and white tuxedo).
  * Labs come in three recognized coats: Yellow, Chocolate and Black. It is possible to have all four colors in the same litter regardless of the parents’ colors.
  * They are widely used to be guide dogs, PTSD dogs, and help children with autism.
  * Labs have something called a “soft mouth”. This allows them to retrieve kills for their owners without hurting the prey. Don’t believe me? Put a raw egg in a Lab’s mouth and watch them carry it around without breaking it.
  * Labs have webbed toes, which make them great swimmers. Their webbed toes are essential as the Lab is a water retriever and they _love_ to swim.
  * The Lab’s “otter tail” can clear your whole fucking coffee table of its contents in one wag. I’m not salty. It was only my favorite mug that broke. Totally over it.
  * Labs are people pleasers that need a lot of attention, training, and exercise. A bored Lab is a destructive Lab.
  * They are incredibly intelligent which make them joys to train.
  * Labs have good noses and will ghost you in search of a ten-day-old hot dog if you aren’t paying attention.
  * Labs do have a lot of health issues they experience in their old age. Hip and elbow dysplasia are very common in this breed but easily manageable with vitamins. They also are most likely to be obese because they are bottomless pits.
  * They are the most popular breed in the world.
  * I’ve owned one. Can you tell?



 

Golden Retriever Facts

 

  * Golden Retrievers are also bird and gun dogs.
  * They are also widely used as guide, PTSD support, and assistance dogs.
  * They were originally bred in Scotland.
  * Unlike the Lab’s short, strait coat, the Golden has a long, curly gold coat.
  * Though their coat can vary in shades, they are always gold in color. Hence, their name.
  * They are also extremely popular with families as they are very friendly and patient.
  * They’re absolutely shitty guard dogs.
  * They are one of the smartest dog breeds.
  * They are a lot of fun to train because they are so smart and such people pleasers.
  * Like Labs, they can carry an egg in their mouth and not break it. This is called “soft mouth” and is favored because it means they wont hurt the prey they retrieve for their owners.
  * Goldens love water and like to go “dock jumping”. If you’re by a dock, better hope you took the leash off because if you didn’t, you’re going for a swim.
  * Like the Lab, they suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia, which is something that is easily treated with Glucosamine. They also frequently have skin allergies so you MUST check them for ticks as they are extremely allergic and can get hemophilia from ticks. Serious stuff people.
  * Otter tails. Enough said.
  * There was a famous Golden Retriever named Levi. Not important, I just thought it was funny.




	2. Meet Mikasa!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikasa's breed explained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while I try not to get super science-y on you guys, sometimes I have to in order to properly explain things. This is one of those times. I tried my best to explain any specific science terms that many people might not know and if you are still confused, let me know and I'll explain it some more :) I come from a family of doctors (Grandpa is an oral surgeon, aunt is a large animal vet, other aunt is a psychiatrist, and my mom does X-ray stuff) so I understand science and so I may not realize that I didn't explain something well enough. Sorry! I tried! 
> 
> Hope that this chapter is informative and easy to understand!

Mikasa’s Breed Explained

 

While Mikasa doesn’t outright say what type of Kyojin she is, you can deduce from the story that Levi and Mikasa told Eren in Chapter 7, that Mikasa is a black jaguar. I say this because there are actually a few names for her type of cat. Jaguars are often mistakenly referred to as just panthers. However, a panther is actually a term that encompasses several sub-species of big cats. Panthers include but aren’t limited to:

  * Cougars, Puma or Mountain Lions. They are the same thing but Cougar is a term that is used more commonly in the Pacific Northwest while Mountain Lion is used in the rest of America. Puma is used more commonly in Central/South America.
  * Jaguars
  * Tigers
  * Lions
  * Leopards-this includes Snow Leopards



 

While there is no such thing as a “black panther” scientifically, saying black panther is still _technically_ correct. A black panther is essentially a melanistic big cat. Melanistic is basically (in as little scientific words as I can use to correctly explain this) when a dominant and recessive gene containing pigment combine, resulting in a black cat. This usually only happens in leopards and jaguars but has been seen in cougars and even small cats like caracals.

 

I basically decided to make her a jaguar because if she was a leopard Levi would have a fit and fall in it (American saying meaning “he’d be pissed off” for anyone who doesn’t know what that means). Plus jaguars are in general badass. I literally have no other reasoning other than that.

 

Jaguar Fun Facts:

  * They are big cats, and are the only living _Panthera_ species native to the Americas.
  * Their scientific name is _Panthera onca_
  * While they look a lot like leopards, they are much sturdier in build and their behaviors are more similar to a tiger’s
  * They are listed as “Near Threatened” mostly due to humans destroying their habitat.
  * It is illegal worldwide to trade jaguars or any part of them. I.e. skins.
  * They are the third largest feline after the tiger and lion
  * They share a common ancestor with the tiger, lion, leopard (shocker), snow leopard, and clouded leopard.
  * A male jaguar can weigh up to 348lbs (158kg)
  * In the wild, they can live up to 15 years but in captivity, they can live up to 23.
  * Unlike my story, they are solidary animals.
  * Jaguars, unlike other big cats, can roar and frequently do so. This of course excludes lions for obvious reasons.
  * They are crepuscular animals, meaning their peak activity is at dusk and dawn.
  * They are apex predators. This means their only predator is humans.
  * They last female jaguar seen in America was shot by some asshole hunter in Arizona in 1963. In 1969 Arizona outlawed the hunting of jaguars but because the US is dumb as shit, there were only males left. So, hunters killed off all the males instead. Because they’re dumb as shit. I’m mad about this.
  * Moral of story: Don't kill animals just for fun dammit. If you’re gonna hunt, do it legally and use what you kill. Don’t go shooting stuff just because you can.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I clearly got mad at the end there. Sorry not sorry. 
> 
> I'd like to make it clear that I am all for regulated, legal hunting. It is good for the ecosystem believe it or not. It allows for us to weed out the sick (even if we don't know it) and keeps inbreeding down. Also, it keeps species from becoming overpopulated which is a whole other can of worms.
> 
> I do not however agree with illegal hunting. This is hunting out of season and/or hunting animals that are protected by law. While all of the hunters I know would never hunt an animal like a jaguar or cougar, I want to make it clear that hunters also need to use common sense. If the animal is protected by law then there's a reason for that. You don't have to like it or understand it, but you absolutely have to abide it. No if, ands, or buts. Poaching is wrong and people who do it know that. So just don't poach. 
> 
> Alright, I'm done now.


	3. Meet Levi!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi's breed explained.

Levi’s Breed Explained

 

 

I chose Levi’s breed for several specific reasons. I did a lot of research and narrowed down my selections to Leopard, Serval, and Caracal. After debating (and a venn diagram) I decided that Caracal was the best option. So, for those of you who want to know more about Caracals but don’t want to do an ass ton of research, I wrote this. No worries, I got you.

 

  1. Caracals are not part of the big cat sub-family (scientifically called _patherinae )_. Levi is not a big person. Small Levi= small cat.
  2. Caracals are super cool cats. Levi is a cool person.
  3. Caracals are considered one of the best hunters in their family. They are fast, deadly, and incredible jumpers. Levi is the best titan killer.
  4. Caracals look like how I imagined Levi to look. The way their eyes are shaped make them look perpetually bored and pissed off at the same time.
  5. They’re just cool looking cats. Levi thinks he looks cool. It fits.



 

Caracal Fun Facts:

 

  1. Caracals are one of the only species of wild cats to be tamed. That being said, they don't make good pets; they’re assholes.
  2. _pantherinae _ and _ felinae_ are not capitalized because scientifically you do not capitalize subspecies but you do underline and italicize them. You do classify kingdom, phylum, subphylum, class, subclass, superorder, order, suborder, superfamily, family, subfamily, tribe, genus, subgenus. This is why I capitalize all the names of the Kyojin tribes in case anyone was wondering.
  3. Caracals were very popular with Ancient Egyptians. They are shown in painting, and have figurines and sculptures made of them. In fact their sculptures were believed to guard the tombs of the pharaohs. There are also a few cases where embalmed caracals have been found in the pharaohs’ tombs.
  4. Chinese emperors used caracals as gifts in the 13th and 14th
  5. Caracals are listed as “least concerned”
  6. Caracals are found throughout Africa and all of Asia.
  7. They can climb trees but tend to stay on the ground.
  8. Their name comes from the Turkish word “karakulak” meaning “Black Ear”
  9. Caracals are usually sandy brown to reddish brown to grey and there are a few cases of black.
  10. Though they are sometimes called the African Lynx, the caracal is not part of the lynx family. They are more closely related to the African Golden Cat.
  11. Their pupils actually contract to a circle rather than a slit like most cats.



 

Want to see what they’re like in real life? Check out this hilarious clip of Dave Salmoni scaring Jimmy Kimmel with one (skip to 4:30 if you don’t want to watch the whole clip but I’d highly recommend it because it’s hella funny):[ CLICK HERE :D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nyCpVDbhGY)

**Author's Note:**

> As I said, I will continue to update this as the fic goes on. If you are reading this while/before you read the main fic and I have finished the fic, I would strongly suggest that you go back and forth as I introduce/tell you what type of animal each Kyojin is. Otherwise you'll end up spoiling things for yourself and that's no fun.


End file.
